


Puddles And Poppies

by OpenUniverse



Category: Persona 5
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 05:43:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20420876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OpenUniverse/pseuds/OpenUniverse
Summary: Akira, the lonely florist, finally has it jammed through his skull that his best friend is gay for him.





	Puddles And Poppies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [writing_regen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writing_regen/gifts).

> Dude this is the first and only fic I've ever had an editor for its WILD

Fluffy clouds dotted the clear skies of Shibuya, brilliant rays of sun beaming down on the inhabitants of the city. Akira sauntered down the stairs to the subway, his skin prickling at the stark contrast between the station's atmosphere and that of the outside world. People crowded around each corner and crevice, filling every space with a bustling body. Blasts of air conditioning sent shivers down his spine, skin longing for the gentle warmth of the sun again.  
He walked to work, a humble little flower shop in a darkened corner that barely got any business; it garnered a kindness that helped ease his mind after a hard palace or target. Floral aromas graced his senses as he walked in, tying his apron and misting some hyacinths as soon as he entered. He smiled as he tended to the flowers and ferns, a nurturing spirit overtaking his usually collected nature. He waved to his coworker and friend, Haru, ready to start their shifts, each content with their own daily tasks. A bell rang from the front of the store, Akira's gaze flickered to the door and called to Haru, who also used this job to relax.  
"I got it!" He yelled, rushing to the front desk with a pep in his step, feeling in his element.  
The customer's footsteps halted in their tracks from behind a large plant, Akira raised an eyebrow and hesitantly acknowledged them.  
"Hello? How can I help you?" He listened to a muttered 'Shit' as the customer came forward,blonde hair and white converse. "Ryuji?"  
"H-Hey, dude!" Ryuji nervously said, scratching the back of his neck, "I didn't know you were workin' today...thought it was just Haru"  
"Nah, what's up?"  
Ryuji hesitated,his gaze faltering as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. He looked back up to Akira, who was all calm demeanor and cold eyes, smooth and stoic, who lit up inside the store, warm among the plants. Gulping down his nerves, he fidgeted with his feet as Akira waited patiently, who's smile hadn't waned for a moment.  
"I,uh, need a bouquet" His voice was barely above a whisper, embarrassed beyond belief. Swallowing his nerves once more, he continued with vigor, "The reddest, most loving bouquet ya got!"  
"Oh?" Akira questioned, taken aback by Ryuji's forwardness. He turned, motioning for Ryuji to follow him into the back room, trusting Haru with the store.  
Ryuji sat on a stool as he cautiously picked out flowers from different pots and refrigerators, bouncing small talk between them.  
"What's this for?" Akira asked, snipping a few roses from a bush, handling them with tender care.  
"I'm tryin' to tell someone how I feel," Ryuji answered, inspecting a different lot of flowers with a peachy tone on his cheeks. "What about these?" He gestured to a spritely bunch of foxglove nearby, bright bell-like blooms of violet and cream.  
"That's literally the exact opposite of what you want," Akira laughed, placing a few roses on a sheet of plastic, "Foxglove, they mean insincerity"  
"Oh"  
"You'll probably want these," He gestured to a few daisy-like flowers that were purple in color, "Aster, they're a talisman of love...not red, but a break in color is always good"  
Ryuji nodded, and he added them to the plastic. Ryuji, who was always high energy and sarcastic smiles, seemed distant, his mouth shut for once, in a time where it needed to be opened.  
"Who's this for?" Akira prodded, leaning on the table near Ryuji, shoulder barely brushing. He stared at him, noticing the way his cheeks flared when he talked and how his eyes caught flecks of gold in the warm glow of the florist's.  
"Bro, I'm not tellin' you!" Ryuji protested, leaning away from Akira, who had subconsciously drifted closer. Although, he probably should've expected Akira to ask, should've asked Haru to make the bouquet, should've done a lot of things in this moment.  
"Alright," He backed away, walking over to the flowers again, "But what's this person like? I need to know how you feel so I can make the bouquet properly"  
"Oh, uh," Ryuji stuttered, his face flaming, hands gripping the stool beneath him as he stared at the floor, "They're nice…"  
"Yeah?"  
"And strong, they always know what to do, and I really…" Ryuji cleared his throat, "admire that...They're so calm and collected all the time, and I always feel so...so…" Akira faltered as he watched Ryuji grasp for words, "I always feel so free when I'm with them,"  
'Shit!' Ryuji thought, 'If he figures it out, I'm dead!' , positive that he'd be caught red handed; or red faced, in this case.  
Luckily, the leader was never the brightest when it came to the obvious.  
Akira blushed at Ryuji's child-like love language, fiddling with a few lilies as he listened to him babble on and on, never running out of reasons to love this secret crush. Peaking over at his dumb, love struck expression as he sat with head in hands, it made a warm sensation settle within his chest. Ryuji's tilted eyebrows and wide, doey eyes, a sharp and giddy smile on his face as he talked. Akira's mind wandered, bouncing from memory to memory of Ryuji, who had never seemed so content and excited in these past few months. His thoughts were broken as his mind boarded onto a new train of thought; who had captured Ryuji's heart so tightly?  
"Well, whoever you're giving this bouquet to," Akira interjected, wrapping an assortment of flowers in plastic with a red ribbon, his voice taking an almost sorrowful tone, "They're very lucky"  
"Yeah…" Ryuji drawled, noticing the slow, careful way Akira wrapped the bouquet, the blushing, sad smile that painted his face, "What's in this?"  
Akira pointed to each flower as he named them.  
"Aster. Red roses. Poppies. Hibiscus. White clover, and a few rush daffodils" He looked into Ryuji's eyes, the bouquet shaking slightly in his tight grip, continuing his explanation, "You're beautiful, I love you, and I promise I always will. I hope you feel the same."  
A hushed silence blanketed the boys as Akira held out the bouquet, Ryuji taking it in his hands gently, as if he moved or talked it would cause the flowers to wilt.  
"That's what it means" Akira cleared his throat, wiping his hands on his apron, not meeting Ryuji's stare.  
"Oh, uh, yeah,"The blonde stuttered, holding the. bouquet close, "Thanks, for doing this for me. How much is it?"  
. "Don't worry about it," Akira turned, running a hand through his hair.  
"Nah man, I can pay-"  
"It's on the house,call it a friend's discount"  
"I gotta pay ya, bro" Ryuji said, smiling, "How about we go out to the ramen shop later? My treat"  
The determined and confident grin on his face made Akira's resolve soften, and he agreed.  
"Cool! I'll pick you up at LeBlanc after your shift!" Ryuji exclaimed, hopping off the stool and beginning to leave, "See ya!"  
Akira waved goodbye as Ryuji left the backroom, silent as he sauntered to the front of the store, his mind flooded with questions. Ryuji was always so boisterous, never afraid to say whatever boarded his train of thought, so why would he bottle himself up? They'd been completely honest since the first time met, never filtering themselves. Why now? It wasn't adding up, no matter which way Akira thought about it. ?q  
Hours passed until his shift ended, a calm sweeping through his tired mind as he left the store, the sharp chill of the station's air conditioning a contrast to the heat lamp warmth of the florist's. 'Atleast it'll be warm outside' Akira thought, rubbing his hands together as he climbed the stairs to the surface, content with the usual promise of sunshine, a smile spreading onto his face.  
His grin immediately flattered, hair whipping about in the wind that followed an army of grey storm clouds that loomed ominously overhead. Eyes skyward, he hastened his pace, the sky growing dark, a light drizzle tapping on his back as he rushed towards LeBlanc. A shudder racked through his body as the rain began to fall harder, hands holding his popped collar firmly in place, water pooling on slumped shoulders. The rain felt suffocating, beads of water sticking to his glasses and slicking locks of hair to his soaking face. Akira had never liked the rain, the way it sank into every crevice, filled and consumed everything it touched, the hell spark of lightning that was never too far from the foreboding body of clouds. He pushed his head lower, until he could only see his shoes splashing into the inevitable puddles that formed underfoot, his reflection, terrified and alone, crushed beneath him.  
Storm clouds loomed over the cafe, the wind scratching at every crevice and flushing rainwater against the windows with a hollow wail. The caramel sweetness of coffee mixed with the spicy aroma of curry steamed the windows, creating a translucent wall near the door.  
Akira sat in a booth, surrounded by an otherwise empty restaurant, eyebrows knitted together as he texted Ryuji with an annoyed, yet worried fever. 

Clown Boy: Bro, where are u???

The boys had made plans to meet up that evening, with Ryuji swinging by LeBlanc to pick him up. Akira cast an uneasy glance to the window, wishing he'd be able to see something, if not for the ferocious roar of thunder and sickening crack of lightning. The constant sounds of the rain filled his head until it was all he could hear, as if it was a force that flooded his mind until he no longer existed inside his own body. For a moment, his fingers numbed as the rain pressed on, head clouded with the atmosphere of the downpour. The rain, it pooled into everything, including himself. Thunder shook in his ears, blocking all other sounds, his hands pressed tightly against his ears. Taking deep, ragged breaths, Akira calmed himself within the warm embrace of the cafe, the promise of tomorrow's sunshine bringing peace to his mind. Fingers tapped against the phone screen, sending another bittersweet text as his breathing settled into its normal pace. He hoped Ryuji would get there soon, despite his message. 

Clown Boy: If you're out in this storm Im going to kill you 

Drumming his fingers against the mahogany wood of the table, Akira's gaze flickered between the door and his phone, a grimace deep set into his face. If Ryuji wasn't responding, that meant he was on his way, walking to the cafe and most likely without an umbrella because of the storm's spontaneous occurrence.  
A howling peel of thunder shook the shop, giving birth to a new sound; far more wet...and angry. The squishy sound of footsteps approached the cafe, a darkened figure splashing a puddle onto the windows. Akira's mood perked, his posture reforming from hunched to sitting upright, eyes not leaving the rapidly encroaching silhouette. Akira quickly rushed to the door, albeit a moment too late, as rainwater flooded into the cafe with the slam of the door, a completely soaked Ryuji standing in the door frame, a crimson bouquet of waterlogged and broken blooms clutched in his hand like a weapon.  
The blonde smiled as he rushed past Akira, relishing in the warmth of the cafe. Having been in the restaurant more times than he could count, Ryuji ran to the back room, tossing the poppies onto the counter. With a cautious hand, Akira grabbed the soaking bouquet, following behind him.  
"Sorry," Ryuji said, wringing his shirt over the sink, "Didn't want to get the floor wet"  
"Don't worry about it," Akira replied, peering down at the flowers in his arms. The bouquet he had made earlier. "Did you get these for Ann or…?" His sentence faded, unsure of how to handle the situation. The flowers couldn't have been for him, he was the one who made the bouquet; it didn't make sense.  
Ryuji, eyes cast downward and hands at work, bashfully laughed.  
"Nah, dude, they're for you," He paused, cheeks rivalling the poppies, "It's, ya know, a friend thing...you were sad about the palaces so I got you some...yeah, it's for friends...A friend thing,"  
A pause settled between them in the small space of the back room, tension rising as Akira's quizzical look dissolved into one of understanding.  
"Bro, that wasn't convincing in the slightest" Akira said, rolling his eyes, his chest tightening "These are totally for Ann, the meaning is sweet, she'll love them...I didn't know you felt that way about her."  
Ryuji chuckled to himself, his blush growing deeper. A friend thing. Totally for Ann. Yeah.  
"Ha, yeah, you got me, they're for-" His voice hitched in his throat, "for...Ann"  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Akira half heartedly joked, "Afraid I was going to steal her away with my charming personality?"  
"Ugh, no!" Ryuji refused to face him, lest he see the blush deepening on his face.  
"Oh?" A devilish chuckle left Akira's mouth as he leaned against the door frame, watching Ryuji fail at drying his clothes, "Scared of my undeniable good looks, right?"  
"Will you shut up already?!"  
Akira laughed at the shy nature of his friend, unknowingly admiring the way Ryuji flushed when he was flustered, the fake anger that was merely a subconscious ploy to save his pride; it was adorable.

"Come on, you can borrow some of my clothes," Akira continued, already walking out of the backroom and heading upstairs. "You can sleep over if the storm doesn't ease up"  
Ryuji followed like a shy puppy, protesting but not refusing Akira's offers.  
"Dude, you don't have to do that!" He was handed a set of clothes, "I don't think these will even fit!" He said, already changing into Akira's shirt.  
Akira stared at the flowers in his hands, placing them down on his desk, melting as his eyes caught sight of the manga Ryuji had left from before. Picking up a random issue, Akira fell onto the bed, flipping through it absentmindedly. The bouquet held a meaning of deep, powerful love and admiration, he had picked them to perfectly match Ryuji's image of this mystery person. Of Ann.  
A sour taste settled in his mouth, trying hard to shake the vision of Ryuji giving the bouquet to Ann, smirking at the way they sat on his desk instead of in her hands...oh, what a shame.  
Ryuji padded into the room, wet clothes perched in the plastic bag in his arms. Without another thought, he placed them on the desk and grabbed a comic book. He slumped down next Akira, ignoring the way their shoulders leaned in together when they sat. Dry and warm, he smiled to himself, Akira would've given him the shirt off his back if he didn't have any others to give. The thought awoke a fuzzy sensation deep in his chest as he tried to pay attention to the manga.  
"You look good," Akira commented, not looking from the book, his voice monotone.  
Thunder rattled the attic, rain shook the window sill as they sat together by the yellow light of Akira's lamp. In the dim light, Ryuji’s mind went blank, the boy choosing to hide his face in Akira’s arm before stuttering a response.  
"Um, thanks,” This felt so awkward, nothing had gone like he had planned. “Ugh" Ryuji sneered, looking towards the window, his head laid against Akira's shoulder, "All this goddamn rain is such a pain!"  
"Yeah, we could've gone to the ramen shop today if it hadn't started to storm" Akira agreed, his mind miles away from the conversation. Something wasn't adding up. "Were you going to see Ann later?"  
"Huh?" Ryuji asked, eyes shifting up to Akira's, "No? I was just hangin' out with you today"  
"Then why'd you bring the bouquet? Did you want me to make you another one?"  
"Akira," Ryuji turned, to see him face to face, "You're really smart, but you can be kinda dumb"  
"What?"  
"The flowers are for you" Ryuji leaned back from Akira, now looking at the topic of conversation, ignoring the way his cheeks felt like they were on fire, "I think you already know what I mean"  
The atmosphere in the room shifted, even rain seeming to hush in the tender moment. Akira simply stared before reaching a hand over to Ryuji, who's gaze snapped up upon feeling Akira's fingers tangle in his. Voice calm, picking up at the end of his words, doubt interwoven into his movements, Akira spoke, possibly with the most intense expression Ryuji had ever seen him - dark eyes pitted under brows that were tightly furrowed together, his mouth nothing but a fine line before it opened, and he began.  
"Ryuji, then all that stuff you said back at the shop..." Akira started, tightening his grip on Ryuji's hand, the blonde nodded as he turned his head away, "That was about me?"  
"How many times do I gotta say it, dude?" Ryuji groaned, throwing his head back, adamant about not looking at Akira. "Yeah, it was,"  
A blush colored his cheeks a vermillion that rivaled the bouquet, eyes not leaving Ryuji's shifting form. Placing a tender hand on the side of his face, Akira gently turned Ryuji's gaze back to his.  
"So...you like me? This isn't a joke?" His face was now mere inches from the other boy's, who sat speechless, mind processing a mile a minute.  
"What the FUCK, " Ryuji almost yelled, reaching over to grasp both of Akira's hands, "do I hafta say to get it through your head?!"  
"Oh?" Akira questioned, Ryuji's true intentions shining through as his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Oh"  
"Yeah…"  
Akira, speechless, simply held Ryuji's hands, trying to find an articulate response to him. Leaning down, he did what he thought was best, what could properly express his feelings. He brought their intertwined hands to his chest, pulling Ryuji close, placing a nervous hand on the blonde's back. Akira simply began to lean back, bringing Ryuji down with him to the bed. He adjusted his grip on the boy, hugging him tightly against his chest as they laid together.  
Ryuji, hair still damp and being warmed by Akira's body heat, smiled contently to himself. He nestled into his chest, laughing off Akira's wordless response. With a soft acknowledgment, Ryuji grasped a manga near his thigh, and began to read it. This sense of normalcy, it sent his head into foggy territory, as if he moved too quickly or suddenly he'd ruin the moment and they'd be right back where they started. No, he liked this; wanted to stay like this for as long as he could, wrapped in Akira's arms and wearing his clothes.  
The view from the window lightened, the storm clouds receding into the distant, violet horizon. Cautious beams of sunlight broke through the hazy mist at the window, basking the room in a cozy, warm glow.  
"The storms gone…" Akira mumbled, his grip on Ryuji not weakening in the slightest.  
"Yeah, guess I won't have to stay over" Ryuji finished, not making any move to stand.  
"Who knows," Akira said, turning over to face Ryuji's (still) beet red face with a gentle smile, "Maybe it'll be late when we get back from the ramen shop"  
"Maybe it'll be too dark for me to walk home" Ryuji added with a wicked grin, his mischievous tendencies shining through.  
"Oh no, how unfortunate"  
"Yeah, it's really too bad"  
Sarcastic banter continued as they shucked on jackets and sneakers, leaving the cafe, smiles on both young faces, hand in hand.  
Holding open the door to LeBlanc, Ryuji stepped out into the sunlight, a few droplets of rain dripping down from an overcast sky. He noticed the way Akira hesitated, how he clammed up at the sight of the deep puddles underfoot, his dark reflected in the water. Reaching down cautiously, Ryuji grabbed the other boy’s hand, his smile shrinking, yet not disappearing.  
“Are you alright? Scared or somethin’?” He asked, tangling his fingers in Akira’s.  
Sunlight bounced off him, as if he simply couldn’t absorb anymore. Ryuji glowed like the sunset around him, golden blonde and peach cheeks, sparkling with drops of dew hanging onto the smile lines near his eyes. His concerned grin, sharp toothed and confident, made Akira’s awkward demeanor fade into bliss.  
Taking a step over the puddle, Akira gripped Ryuji’s hand with newfound determination, his own smile growing into a more mischievous expression, his dark eyes taking a softer intensity.  
“Nah, I’ve just got a question,” Akira seemed to purr, his voice soothing Ryuji’s racing heartbeat, “Is this a date?”  
Ryuji’s peach complexion darkened into one of roses, turning away from Akira and lightly punching Akira’s shoulder as he groaned.  
“Ugh, can you shut up, man?!”  
It was, in fact, their first date, one of many to. come.


End file.
